A Different Course of Action
by zero0000
Summary: A different decision creates a clan of pariahs and places one very reluctant ninja in a position he did not ask for. In an age of war and death can friendship still find room to bloom in the Hidden Leaf?
1. The Die is Cast

**A Different Course of Action**

**A Naruto fic by zero0000**

**_Prologue: The Die is Cast_**

**Disclaimer**

I don't own Naruto and neither do you. But plagiarize this fic and I will disembowel you and everyone ten feet from you.

A/N: Hi, it's me again. The idea for this fic hit me while on the commute from the dorm back to my house. It's a little glimpse on what might have been if Konoha's diplomatic processes had been a bit different. Anyway, enough of this crap. Let's get this fic on the road.

xxxxx

This was the day that started it all.

A peace treaty had been declared between Hidden Cloud and the Leaf. The former village had sent delegates to Konoha, emissaries of peace of the new alliance between the two villages. New bonds were formed that would later strengthen the military might of both nations, to the benefit of all the people.

It was a day of celebration; parades dotted the Leaf's streets, and the people sent their adoration to the Cloud's emissaries. The festivities lasted for days, and no one had expected what had happened next.

An attempted kidnapping was attempted on the heir of the Hyuuga clan's Main House. Three year old Hyuuga Hinata was taken from her bed by a masked shinobi, whose intentions at the time were still unknown. The attempt was foiled by the head of the Main House himself. Hyuuga Hiashi slew the unknown shinobi with a single blow to the heart, all of the ninja's tenketsu coiled around the organ triggering a cardiac arrest, killing him before he even hit the ground.

The masked shinobi was later revealed to be the head of the Cloud delegation, and in no uncertain terms the Hyuuga was ordered to surrender the corpse of the clan head or declare war with the other village.

In another world this triggered the death of a loved one and the birth of an undying hatred against a strangling system of oppression. In this world we see something different, something that might have been had one thing been changed.

_Hyuuga Compound, Main Residence Hall_

_9 years before the canon_

"That is preposterous Hokage-sama! We cannot be made to perform such an outrageous request!"

The Hyuuga clan elder punctuated his statement with a fist to the floor, a gesture so unlike the usually prim and proper façade they show to the world that the Sandaime visibly flinched. In the two opposite corners of the group sat the two clan heads. Hyuuga Hiashi, leader of the Main House, and to his left sat his twin brother Hizashi. To Their credit, neither betrayed their true feelings outwardly, only placing a schooled mask of neutrality on their aristocratic features. "The Hyuuga clan head will not be used as a bargaining chip, Hokage-sama," another wizened elder said. "The council does not agree with this course of action at all."

"I have considered your advice, elders, but I have made my decision."

Sarutobi turned to see Hyuuga Hiashi with an expression of fierce concentration. The man's fists clenched and unclenched involuntarily as he forced his mind to focus. "I have decided to take my own life to divert this potential conflict. The village will not see another war if I can help it."

Hizashi frowned. This he did not expect. _What are you thinking onii-sama?_ His twin shot him a look, and the head of the Branch House held his tongue. "You can't be serious Hiashi!" an elder raged. "Your life cannot be held forfeit for something you have absolutely no control over! You acted in defense of your clan and nothing you did could be blamed to you."

"Still we are left with a quandary in our hands," the Hokage said, pursing his lips in thought. "On the one hand we surrender Hiashi and prevent war, despite an obvious act of aggression from Hidden Cloud. What do you think Hizashi?"

The man was startled at the attention given him. Hizashi cleared his throat once before he spoke. "If I may, Hiashi-sama," he said, and his brother nodded his assent. "I realize that the clan will not sacrifice its head willingly and I offer a solution." The elders and the Hokage leaned forward to hear.

"I suggest that I be given to the delegates in Hiashi-sama's stead."

That got the elders' attention.

"Do you know what you are suggesting!"

"The Cloud will surely realize they have been deceived!"

Hiashi's eyes had widened for a split second before he schooled his appearance into neutrality again. It was a struggle to keep his face impassive, but now was not the time to lose one's composure. "Hizashi," he said after the uproar died down. "I cannot ask you to do this."

A dark laugh erupted from the Branch Head's lips. "Who said you had an opinion in the matter, onii-sama?" he spat. "In my life I have been denied many things by many people," as he said this he glanced at each elder present before he continued. "Allow me this one freedom to decide how the rest of my life will be spent."

"The clan cannot force you to do this, otouto."

"It is my decision Hiashi. You cannot dissuade me from it."

The twins stares locked into each other, each one unwilling to lose the other. Hiashi was clan head, Hizashi was not. The logical answer was that the latter man was expendable while the former man was not. The curse seal on Hizashi's head would ensure that none of the Hyuuga clan's secrets would fall to the enemy as it would more assuredly had the clan head been allowed to die to prevent this war from happening.

The elders looked at each other and nodded. "The clan council hereby accepts the sacrifice of the head of the Branch House, Hyuuga Hizashi. His sacrifice will be remembered in our histories and will forever be to his honor. Kami-sama have mercy on his soul."

"I won't let you."

Hyuuga Hiashi had risen silently from his sitting position and was now standing tall in front of the gathered group. The others had assumed their own ready stances, excluding the Hokage who had somehow managed to look interested at the conflict about to unfold in front of him. "I will not let you throw your life for me Hizashi," the clan head seethed. "This never needed to happen had I not been too hasty in killing."

Quick as lightning Hizashi flared into motion, slamming an open palm in Hiashi's diaphragm and forcing the air out. The younger twin bent his head and whispered in his brother's ear.

"And this was not your choice. Let me do this for you, otou-sama. Allow me the freedom to protect my precious people."

Hiashi slumped into unconsciousness in his younger brother's arms. The Hokage stood, motioning for Hizashi to follow him. "Come with me," he said. "There's something for you to see before we begin."

Without another word the Sandaime left, Hizashi following after a fashion. They left the Hyuuga compound and traversed the length of the property to the village itself. There was no conversation, as no words were necessary for what needed to be done. As for the Hyuuga, only one thought crossed his mind.

He was going to die tonight.

They had been walking for thirty minutes before they came to the temporary holding grounds for the ninja prison. The structure was short, squat and generally unpleasant to look at. A set of seals were carved into the walls, making it impregnable from escape from the inside. As this was within the village limits, this was the best security measure to be afforded to the Leaf, before prisoners could be transferred to the main compound in the dormant volcano.

Hizashi still hadn't figured out why he was brought here.

Shiranui Genma met them at the door, his ever-present senbon needle in his mouth. "Hokage-sama," he said "Come to show Hizashi-san the big surprise?" The Hyuuga's brow furrowed. Surprise? What?

Genma laughed. "I guess you haven't told him yet. Anyway, let's get this show on the road shall we?" The Hokage's eyes shone with mirth as he shot a glance at Hizashi.

"Yes Genma. Some explanations are in order, but I feel that this would clarify things far more than I ever will."

The trio made their way through the maze-like hallways and down into the lower levels built into the bedrock. The lower levels were dark and dank, lit only by torches. A constant drip dripping sound echoed throughout the stairwell, providing some cover against the deafening silence.

"Hokage-sama?"

"Yes Hizashi-kun?"

"What the hell is going on?"

"If my memory serves me well, you'll find out in about…ah, here we are."

They stopped in front of a steel reinforced door, its borders decorated with chakra-suppressing seals. Genma took out a key from his utility pouch and opened the complicated locks adorning the door. "Chakra-based security system," the jounin explained. "Only three of us counting the Hokage even has access to this room." Hizashi momentarily activated his Byakugan, only to find the Sandaime's hand blocking his sight. Sarutobi had a smile on his face as the Hyuuga deactivated his bloodline.

"That would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it, Hizashi-kun?"

"I understand, Hokage-sama." _Fuck. No I don't._

The door opened with a pop, as if the seals to the door had been airtight. What Hizashi saw next would unnerve him for decades to come. A coat of blood decorated the floors of the prison, the stench almost overpowering even to seasoned shinobi forged in the fields of battle. There were three prisoners hanging from chains attached to the wall, from the looks of their bloodied forehead protectors they were the remaining delegates from hidden Cloud. The Hyuuga did a double take. Hidden Cloud? In front of them was one Morino Ibiki.

The torture specialist was wiping down an arcane tool with an already bloody rag. It took a few moments for him to acknowledge the others' presence. "Hokage-sama," he said, without even a perfunctory greeting. "I've managed to put the prisoners in a more, ah, _cooperative_ mood. I believe they're willing to speak with you now."

Genma took out the senbon from his lips and examined the condition of the three Cloud shinobi hanging on the walls. "I think you're enjoying your job a little too much, Ibiki-kun. But even I must admire your professionalism sometimes."

"I hope you don't think you're being funny Shiranui," came the reply "because I think these guys can't handle any more torture like your pathetic excuse for humor." The Sandaime swept past them and stared straight into the eyes of the prisoner in the center.

"Kamishiro-san, I presume?" A gurgled reply. The Hokage ignored his prisoner's current state and continued speaking normally. "With your prime delegate's attempt to kidnap a member of a Konoha clan, your village has willingly and knowingly committed an act of aggression. Do you not realize this?"

Blood began dripping from the prisoner's lips. His eyes were glazed, perhaps from the pain, perhaps from a last ditch attempt to conceal information. The Hokage remained unfazed. "Konoha has decided. The three of you will be executed and your corpses be sent with a declaration of war to Hidden Cloud."

The Cloud nin's eyes focused again. "Fuck you, Hokage-teme," he spat.

Sarutobi smiled. "Ibiki," he said offhandedly. "I believe our prisoner will be needing more convincing. I apologize for making you work on such a tight deadline, but we will need the information by the end of three days." The torture specialist nodded.

"Figures," Ibiki moaned, turning to his tools. "I hope I get paid overtime for this."

Genma escorted the Hokage and Hizashi out of the compound. Once out in the night sky, the Hyuuga turned to the Sandaime with one question on his lips. "Why Hokage-sama?" Sarutobi's face was solemn.

"Konoha will not be caught in a weak moment. Cloud made a mistake underestimating our reaction. With the attempt on Hinata-san's life they have made their intentions clear. They do not trust us and neither do they want to. If it's war they want, it's war they will get."

The Hokage excused himself and left for the tower. Hizashi watched his liege lord walk away, a certain heaviness in his gait as if the old man was carrying an unfathomable burden on his shoulders. "I hope you know what you're doing Hokage-sama," he said out loud. "This will signal worse times for us all."

With that, Hyuuga Hizashi walked back to the confines of the Hyuuga compound. The Leaves were going to war, and fate would be decided for all of them this night.


	2. ChiHime

**Chapter 1**

**Chi-Hime**

_Excerpt from the Konoha Shinobi Archives_

_Recorded by Fire Country court historians on the 30th year of the Sandaime's reign_

_The war with Hidden Cloud lasted 13 years._

_By all accounts this was the longest conflict since Iwa's failed attempt to annex Konoha into its borders. The Sannin had all but disbanded. There was no more Yellow Flash, the former God of Shinobi himself nothing more than a decrepit old man long past his prime. Konoha forces were forced to replenish themselves with children, often youngsters no older than twelve had to take to the front lines to replace the fallen._

_The Leaves were forced back too many times, suffered too many defeats for them to remain an economically viable military force. Kumo had a secret weapon, a kunoichi named Nii Yugito who was later revealed in the latter part of the war to be a jinchuuriki housing the two-tailed nekomata. With this "Living Ghost" on the battlefield leading most of Cloud's main vanguard, the village had taken territory to match what the Rock had lost during its failed siege with the Fire Country village. But Hidden Leaf bid its time._

_This was the era where its patience would be rewarded. _

_The Leaf's secret weapon was finally deployed, after a long six year wait. Fifteen year old Uzumaki Naruto, legacy of the Yondaime Hokage and bearer of the Kyuubi no Kitsune took his place among the ranks of the immortal with his historic victory at the Battle of Wave Border, slaughtering an initially estimated two hundred Kumo shinobi with only a force of fifteen men and women. The people had someone to look up to, a hero, a symbol that would sustain them these next few years._

_And the Yellow Flash was reborn._

_Two names resounded at all times in both sides of the war. Konoha's Kiroii Senko and Kumo's Ikiryou. There was none who didn't speak their names with at least some fear, or at least the reflex to offer a prayer to ward off evil. Demons of battle, ultimate weapons like no other._

_Human killing machines._

_They fought and fought at every major encounter, not once willing to give an inch despite their obvious equal capacity to destroy. Soon it became clear that despite Yugito's massive battle experience, her Nibi no Nekomata still came short of the sheer power that was the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The tide of war was departing from Kumo._

_Slowly but surely the Konoha Nin began to use this to swing the momentum of the conflict in their favor, finally forcing a stalemate among the two nations. No peace treaty has been signed as yet, and the atmosphere sizzles with the expectation of when the war would erupt again._

xxxxx

"Freak!"

"This is all your family's fault!"

"Why don't you just leave the village and take this war with you!"

The insults grew louder and the beatings more painful. The crowd took pleasure in causing her pain, it seems. The girl took it all in silence, never crying out and never once thinking ill of her tormentors. It was all her fault anyway, right? Twelve years the village had to suffer because of something she did. Twelve long, nightmarish years.

She had to ask herself why she had to be born in such a time. Why did the people hate her so? Surely what she did was not so awful as to merit this treatment. The girl grimaced as a kick to her stomach caused severe internal injury, causing her to cough up blood. No. this can't be her fault. None of this should have been her fault.

_Why?_

_Why me?_

Her tormentors paused, poised like a deer about to bolt. "It's the demon," one of them whispered. The girl saw their fear through her nearly closed eyes as they all scrambled to get away. The next thing she remembered was a flash of blonde and perfectly, perfectly blue eyes.

Blonde hair and blue eyes? Was that what a demon was supposed to look like? She asked herself. The stranger had the kindest smile. An angel's smile. She couldn't help but be swayed by it, as the grin was infectious in ways she can't explain. The last thing Hyuuga Hanabi remembered was the stranger saying "Easy does it, chi-hime," before the darkness claimed her consciousness.

xxxxxx

Uzumaki Naruto, sixteen year old tokubetsu jounin, commander of Konoha Forces main vanguard, frowned at the battered little girl he held in his arms. A Hyuuga, he surmised, recognizing the blank white eyes she briefly showed him as a manifestation of their bloodline limit. What in the nine hells was a Hyuuga doing here?

"Uhm, Naruto-sama?"

The blonde turned and took in the sight of one of his three tutors. Ebisu was adjusting the almost opaque shades he was wearing; an expression of utmost concern was on his face.

"What is it now, Ebisu?"

"I don't think it would be wise to have the villagers see you helping one of _her_ kind, Naruto-sama."

The blond glared. _Not this shit again_, he said to himself. Ignoring the expression of utmost surprise on the older jounin's face, Naruto proceeded to carry the unconscious girl and walk with her in his arms across the street. "Not even going to listen to what you're going to say so I'd advise you to shut your pie hole, closet-pervert," the blond fumed.

"But Naruto-sama--"

The blond turned and tapped slightly into the chakra of the demon fox, turning his eyes blood red. "Not ten years ago I was on the receiving end of the beatings, Ebisu-_sensei_" Naruto said, the inflection on the suffix dripping with sarcasm. "I'm not going to let a kid suffer the same crap I had to put up with. You got that?"

Ebisu kept his face impassive. The elite Hyuuga clan. Once admired for their legendary bloodline, though now they were seen by the village as the cause of this pointless war. Uzumaki Naruto, once seen as nothing more than the demon fox he housed before the village saw him as a formidable that reigned on the field of battle.

Amazing how things change in a decade.

Though the boy had a valid point, there was one other reason why the older man decided it would be pointless to argue. One thing he and the rest of Naruto's tutors learned, it was that when he decided to do something nothing on earth changed his mind about it except when he did himself. Almost always, it was when he made one of those ridiculous promises of a lifetime he always managed to push himself into keeping.

_Kami-sama, I'm beginning to hate this brat's sanctimonious Way of the Ninja._

The older man kept his mouth shut. It wouldn't do to talk back to the hero of the village. No matter how pigheaded the aforementioned blonde is. Ebisu wondered how in the Yondaime's name the boy managed to hold on to his humanity, let alone his ideals, even after all those years on the front lines. He faced the direction of Hokage mountain, letting the face of the Yondaime fill his vision.

"Ebisu, what the hell are you doing? We have to get her back to the compound before it gets too dark."

His ward's voice snapped him out of his reverie. "Coming, Naruto-sama!" he called, sprinting after the retreating blond's form. No hospital would take the girl in, and Naruto probably knew that since she didn't have his increased healing, she'll probably not survive when the medics start putting laxatives in her meds.

_Let's hope something good comes out of this_, Ebisu thought to himself, as the pair walked the thirty minutes it took to the Hyuuga compound.

_Though I doubt it with my luck._

xxxxx

"Hinata-sama, I've brought you your tea."

The purple-haired heiress blinked at the sound of her cousin's voice. Sure enough a complete tea set was right in front of her, placed there in front of her spot by the older Hyuuga Neji. She nodded her thanks and proceeded to absently watch the tea leaves swirl in the steaming liquid, lost in another one of her reveries.

"Hinata-sama?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I lost myself in thought again."

Neji put the tray aside and positioned himself in front of Hinata. "You shouldn't think on something this much, Hinata-sama," he berated. "It's beginning to wear down on your attention span." Hinata apologized again before the older boy's face melted into a façade of concern. "Is there anything you wish to tell me?"

"I'm afraid not, Neji-nii. Thank you for your concern."

The jounin sighed. "Hinata-sama, I promised my father that I would protect you with my life," Neji said. "Believe me when I say that I WILL own up to that promise. But before everything else I am still your family. Families are supposed to take care of each other, you know that. How can I take care of you if I don't even know what's bothering you?"

Hinata looked even more troubled, even as Neji took her hand for reassurance. "I-I'm sorry," she stuttered, in the way she did when she didn't want to be the cause of much trouble. "I feel like I'm just getting in the way of you all…"

"Don't think that, Hinata-sama."

The girl smiled. "I'm just worried about Hanabi-chan, that's all," the heiress admitted. "Today's her first mission as a ninja of the Leaf, and I just want her to get back okay."

Neji laughed despite himself, causing his younger cousin to give him a sheepish grin. "D-rank missions are nothing to worry about Hinata-sama," he said confidently. "Besides, the worst that could happen is that her team gets assigned a rather distasteful task babysitting a bunch of kids or chasing down that blasted cat that belonged to the feudal lord's wife."

"I guess I was worried for nothing…"

"Don't feel bad about it Hinata-sama," Neji said, taking the tray. "You just need to come to terms with the fact that Hanabi-sama is growing up and won't need your attention for very much longer. She's far stronger than the both of us give her credit for."

Hinata gave her cousin a solid hug. "Thanks Neji-nii," she said, burying her face in the folds of his robe. "You always seem to say the right things to make me feel better." Neji pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"That's what family does, Hinata-sama."

Their tender moment was shattered when a Branch House servant barged into Hinata's private quarters. Neji turned to give the woman a glare when he caught her rather disheveled state. The maid was breathing heavily and her face was shiny with sweat, several strands of hair were covering her forehead wrapping. The heir to the Branch House nodded, motioning for her to say her piece.

"Neji-sama, Hinata-sama," the servant gasped. "Guards have spotted Hanabi-sama being carried here by one Uzumaki Naruto and an unnamed jounin. She seems badly injured!"

Hinata was bolt upright. All of her previous fears had come to life, and she'd be damned if she wasn't there to help her sister. Before she ran outside, Neji caught her arm. _Be calm_, he mouthed. She nodded dumbly before she accepted his proffered arm and the two of them left Hinata's private chambers to meet their unexpected guests.

xxxxx

Very few things in the world ranked in what Uzumaki Naruto called his "List of Awkward Situations He'd Rather Not Be Part of." Among the items in that list would be walking in on his second tutor, Mitarashi Anko, in the shower, having his third tutor Morino Ibiki give him The Talk, and catching Hatake Kakashi and Umino Iruka making out in the trees by the camp.

(Naruto decided that to their credit, the two men did spend two years in the front lines _far _away from the kunoichi squads. He forgave them for that little incident but the blond still had trouble looking at ninja wire the same way again.)

But being surrounded by a couple of dozen Hyuuga guard, all armed to the teeth, glaring menacingly and shouting "What have you done to Hanabi-sama!" every couple of seconds did sort of top the list. The blond shifted his hold on the girl in his arms and the guards grew more agitated. Naruto decided that until he got to explain his side, he'd probably not move too much. And he'd have to avoid blinking as well.

"Well I hate to say I told you so, but…"

"Shut it, Ebisu."

Ebisu was about to reach discreetly for a kunai he hid in his sleeve when Naruto stopped him. "Don't even bother," the blond said. "These guys probably know to the last kunai just how many weapons you carry on you. Don't piss them off."

"H-hai, Naruto-sama."

Now, you have to understand. Uzumaki Naruto is a decorated war hero. He's faced battles no person his age should have had to and lived to tell the tale. But in the face of the rather intimidating glare of a fully-activated Byakugan (forty-eight sets of them), even he tends to hesitate. Fortunately for him, a certain heiress and a taller and older jounin managed to make her entrance right on cue.

"Stop this right now!"

The older boy commanded the guard to lower their weapons, and the Hyuuga reluctantly complied. The girl ran right to Naruto and laid her hand on the unconscious girl's forehead. "W-w-who would do this?" she stuttered. The blond's eyes grew vacant. Ebisu spoke up first.

"The villagers..."

Those two words sparked a look of horror on the girl's face. Her milky white eyes widened and she had to support herself on the boy to keep herself from falling. The boy turned from her to Naruto, his face stern and commanding. "Then you have saved Hanabi-sama and brought her back to us," he said. "We are in your debt."

Naruto absently scratched the back of his head as the girl was taken from him. "Nah," he said, grinning like an idiot. "I wouldn't have done anything anybody else wouldn't have." The girl bowed anyway, making all the other Hyuuga bow even lower. "Still, you have returned my sister to us," she said. "It would be impolite if we could not even offer you some tea."

And so Ebisu and Naruto found themselves escorted straight to the Hyuuga mansion, a large four storey building built right in the middle of the clan compound. The girl introduced herself as Hyuuga Hinata, and as soon as Hanabi was taken care of, she herself served the visitors tea under the watchful eyes of the older boy, her cousin Neji.

Ebisu took a sip and immediately found his taste buds singing their praises. "My, my. Hyuuga-sama," he said "this tea is excellent." Grinning, Naruto slapped his tutor in the back, forcing tea into his lungs. "Usually it'd be all bull when he says that," the blond quipped "but this time, I'll have to agree with him. Great tea, Hyuuga-san."

Neji didn't even crack a smile. "You are a very interesting person, Uzumaki Naruto," he said. "It interests me why you'd help someone of our clan knowing how the village sees us." Naruto neatly sidestepped that trap. "Eh, I don't know much about that crap," came the reply. "Why, how do the villagers see you guys anyway?"

"Don't play with me, Uzumaki Naruto--"

"Neji! Control yourself!"

Grumbling, the boy took his place to Hinata's left, making sure he would be within striking distance should the need arose. Reflexively, Ebisu started to do the same, before he was stopped by the blond. "Neji huh," Naruto quipped. "I don't think I like you very much."

"I apologize if my cousin had been rude to you, Naruto-san."

"No worries," Naruto said as he glared at the pompous shinobi when he thought Hinata wasn't looking. "Just so long as he stays where I can see him." _And where I can fire a **Senei'Jashu **(**Hidden Snake Hands**) right in his pretty face_, he added silently. He had to fight the urge to complete the one handed seals right then and there, but the blond figured that it'd probably be rude to fire off a jutsu right in the face of his host's bodyguard.

Even if he is a pompous ass and probably deserved it.

The tension was so thick you could cut it with a kunai and serve it on a plate. Fortunately nothing else untoward happened with the four of them, even if Ebisu and Neji did tend to glare at each other when either thought nobody was looking. Naruto on the other hand, had the time of his life. He started chattering excitedly, making exaggerated motions with his arms and Hinata was rapt with attention. How could one not immediately warm up to this blond bundle of energy?

Three hours passed and it was nightfall. Declining an invitation to dinner, Naruto said his goodbyes and left, promising to visit Hanabi later on when she's better. "Make sure you take good care of chi-hime," he said, that devil-may-care grin adorning his face. "Sayonara, Hinata-san, Neji-teme…I mean, Neji-san."

Hinata waved goodbye at the two retreating figures and when she turned around minutes later, found her uncle Hizashi in the room. Neji was busying himself with taking away the tea implements, and his father didn't even bother to address him at this time.

"Was that Uzumaki Naruto I just saw leaving?" he asked. Hinata nodded and her uncle had a thoughtful look on his face. "He's special, that boy," Hizashi said. "If anyone in the village understood what being in our clan feels like, it's young Uzumaki."

"What do you mean, Uncle?"

Hizashi didn't say anything. Which to Hinata, and to Neji as well, something to be remembered. _Uzumaki Naruto_, Neji's father said to himself. _What an interesting turn of events. Perhaps it was fate that decided on your presence in Hanabi-sama's time of need._

"Musuko."

"Hai, Otou-sama."

"You would do well to treat that boy with more respect next time," Hizashi said. "He has gone through far more than even we could ever imagine." Neji kept his face shadowed, hiding the expression on his aristocratic features.

"I still don't trust him otou-sama," the boy consented. "But I will do as you ask."

Hinata watched the exchange silently. "Uncle," she began. "Why do you show such concern for a person we barely know? What makes Uzumaki Naruto different that you would choose to trust him so easily?"

"It's complicated, Hinata-sama," Hizashi admitted. "Uzumaki Naruto's story is about as complex as anyone could ever ask for. Suffice to say that, at one point in his life, he did share in the same suffering and hatred that now beset our clan. Of all people it would be wise not to spurn the friendship of one such individual."

"I see…"

Hizashi laid a hand on his niece's shoulder, easing most of her troubled thoughts. "It's not my story to tell," the man said "and even then I would rather have him tell you himself. Perhaps when the both of you learn to see him as I do you would understand. Until then, it would be wise to wait for him on his next visit."

"What makes you so sure he'll even come back?" Neji inquired. "He'll have nothing more to do to us after what's happened today."

"Which was primarily your fault, musuko."

Neji reddened at the open-faced rebuke. "Uzumaki Naruto will return for a visit," Hizashi said again. "He'll be wanting sure little chi-hime is all right, will he not?" Hinata smiled, remembering how the blond used the nickname to address her little sister.

_Perhaps this will work out for the best after all,_ Hinata mused.

xxxxx

"You don't really intend to visit this Hanabi again do you?"

Naruto was whistling as he walked. "Sure," he replied, cutting himself off mid tune. "Why the hell wouldn't I be?" Ebisu's jaw dropped open. "W-well, that is…I mean…well…"

"If you're going to say what I think you're going to say, you're going to force me to pull a Sennen Goroshi on you," Naruto warned, shaking his index finger threateningly at the tokubetsu jounin. Ebisu snorted. "Like you'll be pulling off such a juvenile move like that."

That stopped Ebisu cold. Naruto could and would be capable of pulling something as juvenile as the dreaded Thousand Years of Pain. Glancing sideways at the idiotic grin the blond wore on his face, Ebisu decided not to take that chance.

"As you wish, Naruto-sama."

"Knew you'd cave that easily. Anyway, we better go visit old man Yamanaka for some flowers to bring for tomorrow."

"Wait, tomorrow?" Ebisu sputtered. "You've just spent most of the afternoon there! How can we be going back tomorrow!"

Naruto shrugged. "Since I'll be going back to the front lines at the end of two weeks, that's why. Plus why the hell not? It's not like I'm doing anything important anyway. Besides, I made a promise to visit as soon as I can, didn't I? And you know how I hate breaking one of my promises."

Ebisu threw his hands in the air as a sign of resignation. "Fine," the tokubetsu jounin said. "But don't expect Ibiki or Anko to be this easy to convince."

"I'll worry about dango-bitch and Captain S-and-M, you worry about the flowers," Naruto said, waving a dismissive hand.

"Fine. Just don't go blaming me when things go wrong, okay?"

"Have I ever done that before?"

"Yes, actually."

"Damn it Ebisu, I can't be expected to remember all that."

The pair argued all the way to the barracks, the setting sun shining on their slowly growing shadows.

xxxxx

A/N: Okay, first things first. This is not going to be a NaruHana pairing. I'm going to go out on a limb here and create something I'm going to call a mentor fic. That means there's probably not going to be a primary love story, and most of the interactions between Naruto and Hanabi are going to be apprentice/sensei types.

On another note, Naruto has three tutors here. Morino Ibiki, Mitarashi Anko and Ebisu (if anyone can tell me his last name I will dedicate a chapter to him or her). The reason being there's all these fics where he's taught by a Sannin (any of the three), Itachi or any other Akatsuki member, and none that explores the possibility of him having multiple tutors at the same time. Expect some hilarity in the interactions here.

Anyway, hope you like how the story goes so far. Keep reading and you'll see just how much this world is different from the canon. I'm playing this by ear and I don't know how everybody else is going to respond to the changes I've made, but I have high hopes that I'll be doing fine.

Oh and one more thing. The list of people I WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT pair Naruto with include the following: Uchiha Itachi (too broody), Uchiha Sasuke (too emo), Yuuhi Kurenai (Asuma would kill Naruto if he found out), Mitarashi Anko (too crazy), Hyuuga Hinata (nothing against the girl, but well…), Hyuuga Neji (too pretty) Tsunade (very old), Orochimaru (too pale and lanky), Jiraiya (too homophobic), Yakushi Kabuto (too geeky), Gaara (ah, no), and **_DEFINITELY_** not Hoshigaki Kisame (do I even need to say how wrong this is?). List may change over time, and by that I'll be adding to it.

As for a NaruYugi pairing? Ah, well…I'll think about it.

-- l33t writer zero0000


	3. What was Real

**Chapter Two**

**What was Real**

By the time Naruto had arrived back at the Konoha barracks, it was already near midnight. He had run into a couple of old friends on the way, and nearly all of them had been excited to hear of his exploits in the front lines.

Old man Ichiraku Teuchi was still the same, though with fewer and fewer shinobi residing in the village, it was harder to get steady customers at his little stand. Ayame was getting a bit better now, the ramen chef related. None of the old coughing fits kept her in bed longer than an evening, but he kept her at home today all the same. Naruto asked him to send her his regards.

Naruto had finished his eighth bowl of ramen by the time the Konohamaru corps arrived, their jounin-sensei in tow. When asked how he was getting to like babysitting genin, Shiranui Genma flipped off the loudly laughing blond and muttered something about "sticking senbon needles where the sun don't shine."

Apparently, Moegi had been the first to make chuunin at the last exam held in Suna. The group had gone to their favorite ramen place to celebrate, and the girl would not stop bragging about her accomplishments.

"Congratulations, Moegi-chan," Naruto said, slurping down the last of his fifteenth Naruto Special. "Maybe when you get assigned to the front lines we'll be able to hang out more."

That shut her up. Naruto had to repress a grin at how pale the thirteen year olds got. Being a ninja was no game, the blond knew. That knowledge was forced into his head every day back in the front lines, and he needed to make sure these shit-green kids knew the difference between a silly test and what was real.

"Being a ninja ain't a game kids," the blond said sagely, all mirth gone from his voice. "There will come a time when you'll be forced to do something in all honesty you'd refuse to do. But by that time you won't have a choice. Decide now what it is you're fighting for, and every day you fight keep it in mind and maybe, just maybe, it'll get easier with time."

"I know what my dreams are!" Konohamaru boomed, hitting his chest with a closed fist. "I'm going to be strong enough to be the Hokage someday like my grandfather was!" Naruto ruffled the boy's unruly spikes. "Great," he said. "Back when I was your age I wanted to be the Hokage too."

The Sandaime's grandson was rapt. "That is so cool!" he said, pumping his fist in the air. "Naruto-sempai wants to be the Hokage too!" Genma shook his head.

"The operative term here is 'wanted.'" The jounin explained. "Naruto-kun wanted to be the Hokage before. Now he doesn't." The blond didn't even look at them as he stared at his empty bowl.

"Huh? Why not?"

"I wanted to stop the war."

Udon's face grew dark. Of the three members of the Konohamaru corps, he was the one who lost the most. Both of his parents were killed in the front lines, obliterated by the Ikiryou herself. Naruto took a sip of his tea, placing it gently down on the counter. "I guess I just outgrew that dream," the blond said, some bitterness spilling over in his voice. "Now I just want to survive the war long enough for me to see my own kids being born. If I ever live long enough for that."

Genma patted his comrade on the back, a reflex developed every time a friend of his came back from the front lines. He was lucky, truth be told. He got assigned the duties of guarding the Sandaime's son, and by extension, teach his genin team. In his heart though, Genma thought himself a coward for not dying properly out in the front lines.

Survivor's guilt was an ugly thing to behold.

"Don't worry Naruto-sempai!" Konohamaru boomed. "When I become Hokage I'll make sure no one declares war on us again! We'll be the strongest village in existence, and all the other countries won't ever bother us ever!"

"That's great Konohamaru," Naruto relented. "Just so long as you remember to work hard everyday and eat all of your vegetables." The Sandaime's grandson made a gagging sound as Moegi giggled. Naruto left some Ryo on the table and walked away, continuing to extol the virtues of broccoli and asparagus. Though to anyone who knew him well, Uzumaki Naruto would rather slit his own wrists with a dull kunai than touch anything green and leafy, but let's digress, shall we?

He hadn't made it fifty meters when he heard the soft patter of feet behind him. Naruto turned with a kunai hidden in his left sleeve, ready to fling, when he stopped short and found himself with a bespectacled thirteen year old boy.

Udon.

The glasses-wearing genin was breathing quickly, even though he probably sprinted the entire distance to get to the older blond. "Sempai," he seethed. "I'm going to get strong enough to kill her someday." Naruto's eyes narrowed. There was no other person that "her" could have been.

Nii Yugito. Kumogakure no Ikiryou (Hidden Cloud's Living Ghost).

"Careful of what you say, Udon," Naruto warned. "Unless you're willing to back it up with action, I suggest you not even try to attempt to say anything at all." The boy was adamant. "But I do mean it!" the boy raged. "I'm going to the front lines and I'm going to kill the monster that killed my parents!"

Udon didn't even see Naruto's arm move. One moment he was standing, the next he was on the ground with a reddening hand print on his face. The genin touched the spot gingerly and looked at the older ninja. The blond's face was cold, wiped clean of all the mirth he had before.

"You little idiot," he spat. "You stupid, little idiot. Don't you know the entire reason I'm fighting this war is so that little brats like you don't have to go to the front lines! And now you have the audacity to tell me you want to actually _die_ fighting an opponent you'll never have a snowball's chance in hell of even touching! What the fuck is the matter with you!"

The bespectacled genin was shaking where he lay. The raw, unfiltered killing intent flowing outwards from the blond was enough to make anybody piss his pants. Udon soiled his trousers in moments, even as Naruto turned to leave.

"Go home, Udon," he said. "Don't even joke about things like that or I'll kill you myself with a blunt kunai." The boy got up and scrambled away, tripping over his own shoes as he sprinted to the distance.

"That was a bit harsh."

Naruto didn't even need to turn to know that it belonged to Hatake Kakashi. "Fuck off Kakashi," the blond responded. "I don't have time for this crap."

"I'd be careful about what I say and who I say it if I were you," came the voice of Uchiha Itachi, who chose that moment to reveal himself. "You may not know this yet but Kakashi-sempai here just assumed his position as the Godaime Hokage."

Naruto did a double take. "YOU!" he pointed, unable to control his surprise. "They made a pervert like you Hokage! What the hell was the council smoking!" Kakashi shrugged. "Guess they figured since I was already here and apparently not suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome that I was the best choice," he said plainly.

The blond still couldn't believe it. "And why the hell aren't you wearing your robes, Hokage-sama?" Naruto inquired, a questioning look in his eyes.

Itachi answered that one. "It's because Godaime-sama thought that he didn't look quite as bad-ass in robes than he would have looked in his battle armor," the Uchiha stated. "Plus it's after hours. You think the old man slept in those robes?"

The Uchiha had a point, no matter how difficult it was for the blond to admit that out loud. "Fine," Naruto said, relenting. "What occasion causes this personal visit, Hokage-sama?" _Kami-sama help us all, that name felt weird when you attach it to someone like Kakashi._

Eh, Cest la vie.

Itachi was holding a small, lacquered box. Upon the Godaime's command, he sprung the catch and revealed its contents. Naruto's eyes opened wide at what he saw contained within. An ANBU mask was nestled in the velvet folds, its features plain as day in the bright streetlights. It was made to look like a fox, grinning and bearing sharp razor-teeth. Adorning both its cheeks are sets of three whiskers, identical to what Naruto had on his face.

"Wh-what--"

"Consider it a personal invitation to ANBU delivered by the Hokage himself," Kakashi said. "Kami-sama knows you earned it." Naruto fingered the mask inside the box, memorizing the contours of the high-density ceramic with the tips of his fingers._ Wow_, he thought. _I just got invited in the top shinobi unit Konoha had to offer._

_Way cool_.

"There's a catch right?" Itachi raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, the catch," Naruto explained, phrasing his words almost as if he were saying "the sky is blue." "There's always a catch when one of these promotions happen to me. Don't tell me I need to remind you?"

"Like that one time when I made chuunin and you made me assassinate the commander of Kumo's primary archer platoon? Or that time when I made jounin and you made me commander of my own squad? Or that time I made tokubetsu jounin and…"

Kakashi waved his hand dismissively. "When you get ahead in the world you're bound to have a lot more responsibility," the Godaime said. "You know that. I know that."

Naruto smiled despite himself as he replaced the mask in the box. "You want me to be honest with you?" he said, an odd weariness filling his every word. "I'm tired of all this, Kakashi-sempai."

"What do you mean?"

"Everything that has to do with this war. I've been fighting for five long years, and each one hadn't been easy." Naruto looked from Kakashi to Itachi before he continued. "Do you remember what it was like not to have the smell of blood staining your hands? Or having a childhood? Or of even experiencing any happy memories that didn't end in death and destruction?" The blond shook his head. "Of course you don't. You're the same as me, after all."

"If you need time to think this over--"

"I think not, Kakashi-sempai. Thanks but no thanks."

Naruto turned on his heel and walked away, losing himself in the darkness of the alleys surrounding him. Itachi watched the boy go, feeling slightly sympathetic at the blond's plight. "Maybe it was a bit too soon," the Uchiha conceded. "We could have let him enjoy his two weeks here before we popped the question."

"It can't be helped now, Itachi. The cat's out of the bag. We can only hope that Naruto will come to a decision that would favor the village when the time comes."

"However unlikely that may be?"

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. "Yes," he whispered. "However unlikely it may be."

By the time Naruto plopped himself in bed, he was too tired to even change. The blond fell asleep in his clothes, snoring loud enough to wake the dead.

xxxxx

"Rise and shine Hanabi-sama."

Hyuuga Hanabi opened her eyes tentatively, squinting at the bright morning sunlight pouring into her windows. She saw up immediately after she realized where she was. Her room? What?

The servant in front of her bowed and left a tray of food by her futon. "Hinata-sama asked me to summon her when you woke," the woman said. "By your leave, Hanabi-sama…"

Hanabi watched the woman leave. She fingered the wrappings wound around her head tentatively and examined the rest of the bandaging covering her. Who had brought her here? And why? The last thing she remembered was being beaten within an inch of her life in the middle of a busy street. No one had even bothered to help her then, and some people were even egging on her assailants.

Her unasked questions were put on hold as her older sister came through the shogi doors. "Hanabi-chan!" Hinata exclaimed. "Thank Kami-sama you're all right!" The older woman was careful to hug her loosely, though she still elicited a wince from her sister. "Oh no, did I hurt you?"

"No, onee-sama. I'm all right."

"Good," Hinata said, breathing a sigh of relief. "When Naruto-san brought you here we weren't even sure you were going to wake up today. You were so badly injured." Hanabi blinked at the name her sister mentioned.

"Wait…Naruto-san? As in Uzumaki Naruto the war hero?"

"Why yes, who else could it have been?"

Hanabi was in shock. The only contact she'd ever had with the near-legendary blond shinobi was when she touched that statue of him in the middle of the village square. Uzumaki Naruto was possibly the most famous ninja alive, and back at the academy there were battalions of kunoichi who were a part of his fan club.

And he actually brought her home to be treated?

"What," Hanabi began, finally regaining enough of herself to form words. "Was he like?" Hinata cut in, grinning like the cat that caught the canary. "My, Hanabi-chan. I didn't realize you're slowly going against your statements disparaging those hordes of women who fanatically follow Naruto-san's career."

That did it. "Onee-sama!" Hanabi shrieked. "I am not a fan girl, damn it!" Hinata laughed at her sister's reaction, catching herself as the younger girl shot her a death glare. "All right, Hanabi-chan," the girl said, raising her hands in surrender. "I'll tell you everything in a moment."

The girl could hardly believe her ears as Hinata related the story of how Uzumaki Naruto himself carried her home. Hanabi even laughed when told how Naruto called her "chi-hime." Her spirits dampened when she realized that the others now knew everything that happened to her that day…

"Onee-sama," Hanabi breathed. "Does father…?"

"Father knows nothing about this," Hinata interrupted. "The only other person who knows is Uncle Hizashi and Neji-nii. You know we can trust them." The younger girl nodded, satisfied. "I don't think father would take kindly to everything that happened should he have found out."

"He won't. Not if we're careful."

Hanabi wrapped her arms around her older sister in a silent gesture of thanks. They were locked in that position for a few minutes before the older girl broke contact first. Hinata stood up, extending a hand towards her sister. "Come on, chi-hime," she said jokingly. "Breakfast is waiting. It is the most important meal of the day, is it not?" Hanabi grabbed her sister's hand and smiled.

"Hai, onee-sama!"

xxxxx

Naruto sped through the dense foliage immediately surrounding the village for his fifth lap. He had been running full sprint all the way and he hadn't even been breathing hard, no small thanks to the Kyuubi chakra running through his body. Mornings were always the best time for laps, he realized. The sun wasn't too hot and there was just the slightest amount of evening chill available to cool off one's body quickly and easily.

He stopped right in front of the village gate, checking his pulse and breathing as he did so. Sometimes it still amazes him how quickly his heart rate drops to normal, as if his recovery time is nonexistent. The chuunin at the gates saluted him quickly as he passed them by, not even asking him for any identification.

_Idiots_, Naruto thought to himself. _A missing-nin could pull of a henge of me and you bastards would just let him through, wouldn't you?_ The blond didn't even bother to dwell on these thoughts any longer than he had to. He had a lot to accomplish today and little time to do it in.

The first stop he made was at the hospital. A few comrades had been sent here a few months earlier and the blond felt that he needed time to reconnect with a few people before he went on his other errand for the day. It took him another hour to get there, having had to stop at a public bath house for a quick shower to make himself look more presentable.

Naruto's reception at the hospital lobby was a mix of awe, fear, and from the older generation, outright hostility. Some people still had difficulty separating his identity from that of the demon fox, and several elderly matrons in hospital gowns and wheelchairs had glared when they thought he wasn't looking. Naruto paid it no mind, having decided long ago that if some people refused to acknowledge the good in him, he had no use for their approval.

He didn't even stop to ask for their room numbers in the receptionist's desk, which caused quite a few nurses to frown in disappointment. Naruto's good humor was back instantly. Too bad fan girls tended to be quite annoying, he realized. Sasuke was the one who taught him that.

Speaking of which.

"Oi, teme," he called, not even bothering to knock on the door to the private suite the disgruntled Uchiha had all to himself. "You still alive in there?" Sasuke was in his bed, the sudden sound of Naruto's voice causing his head to snap to attention. "Stop being so loud, you idiot," he muttered. "It hurts my ears when you do that."

Glazed onyx eyes stared into space as the blond took a seat in a wooden chair beside Sasuke's bed. The second heir to the Uchiha had developed very sharp hearing during the years he had been blinded, and even though he wasn't looking at him directly, Naruto knew his best friend recognized his voice. It was enough, he guessed.

Sasuke was looking a lot better than he did back in Naruto's last visit. He had filled out somewhat, probably a result on his starting to eat regularly again. His skin was still pale, but then again that was more of an Uchiha thing.

"Any word on the operation yet?"

Sasuke scowled. _I guess that's a no,_ Naruto surmised. "Well at least you still have your sunny personality," the blond consoled him. "You'll always have that." Naruto took Sasuke's hand, positioning his fingers away from the IV drip feeding vital nutrients directly to the Uchiha's bloodstream.

"Father hasn't visited me in six weeks," Sasuke said. "When he heard from the medics that even if I recover my sight, that I'll never be able to use the Sharingan again…he was…angry." The boy's fist clenched, gripping the other's hand tightly. "Ever since mother died…"

"Stop talking about crap like that. You know that's not true."

"But it is. He blames me for her death as much as he blames me not being able to use the Sharingan again."

"Tsunade-sama would be able to--"

"Not this again, Naruto-kun," Sasuke spat, dropping his friend's hand. "The Hokage sent dozens of communiqués by now, sent teams of hunter nin to find her. She doesn't want to be found, Naruto. That's just the truth of the matter. I'll just end up being the useless, blind, former Uchiha elite."

"Asshole," Naruto said. "Do you think she'd appreciate you thinking like that? What would she say if she heard what you were telling me now?" The Uchiha looked abashed at that. "She's watching over us both, Sasuke-kun," the blond said, glancing out at the window and the falling cherry blossoms in the boulevard facing Sasuke's window. "She wouldn't have wanted you to give up hope this easily."

"…I guess you're right."

"Damn straight. Listen, let me tell you what's going on with me to cheer you up."

Naruto related all the things that had happened to him during the past six months he'd been in the front lines, with Sasuke listening closely. He'd interrupt a couple of times to clarify a couple of things, but other than that he was rapt. The blond stopped right at the events of the other day, the meeting with Hanabi.

Sasuke's fingers drummed against the metal bars of his hospital bed. "A Hyuuga you say?" he asked. "Sometimes I can't help but pity what their clan has become. Not too long ago they were on the same level as us Uchiha. Oniisan used to tell me about their glory days back before he started serving on the council."

Naruto let out a barking sort of laugh. "Still can't believe they made old pervert the Hokage though," he said. "I don't know what will become of this, but at least I have someone I can trust up there."

"He is a decent shinobi," Sasuke conceded. "Despite his rather poor tastes in reading material. Another thing Naruto. What are your plans regarding this, Hanabi, you mentioned."

Naruto scratched his head, his face scrunched up in such a state of concentration that had Sasuke been able to see, the Uchiha would have slapped him upside the head with a rolled up newspaper. Which he did anyway.

_Thwack._

"Teme!" Naruto squealed. "The hell did you do that for!" The Uchiha sighed, putting away the copy of _The Daily Leaf_ in his bedside dresser. "I know you too well, Naruto-kun. Keep screwing up your face like that and it'll freeze that way."

"Fine. Truth be told I don't really know," Naruto admitted. "I figure I'll just keep visiting her from time to time until I get sent back to the front lines I guess." Sasuke nodded. "Good. But I'd watch myself around the Hyuuga. They have a hard time trusting outsiders and they may want for you to earn their respect."

Naruto snorted. "That's a hell of a lot better than being worshipped by those mindless villagers," he said, shaking his head. "I'd rather face the Hyuuga than the fan girls any day." Sasuke laughed, lighting his pale and haggard face. "I thought you might," he said, cutting his laughter short with a slight fit of coughing. Naruto helped him back to his pillows and reclined the Uchiha back on his bed.

"A warning though Naruto-kun," Sasuke said when he finally recovered. "Of all the bloodline clans the Hyuuga are the best at reading people. They will be poking and prodding you until they assess all of your weaknesses. I wouldn't even put it past them to use those things against you."

"Some friend you are," the blond muttered. "I thought you'd encourage me for even trying." The copy of _The Daily Leaf_ rolled in Sasuke's fist and swung up and over, slamming into the top of the blond's head.

"Itai!"

"Be serious moron. The Hyuuga are no joking matter."

Naruto swatted away the newspaper from his friend's hand and glared. _Sasuke did have a point though_, he admitted to himself. If anything the Hyuuga would have difficulty trusting a person like him, seeing as he had no reason to help the young heiress other than if he had an ulterior motive.

_Kami-sama_, he realized. _The war was warping more minds than even he could realize._

Naruto spent another tow hours in Sasuke's suite before the nurse came in. Grinning, the blond had told the waitress (who looked rather attractive) to be careful when she gave Sasuke his sponge bath, as he's ticklish in several places that he'll leave to her imagination. The look on Sasuke's face and the brilliant red blush on the nurse was priceless.

"I'm going to get you for that Naruto!" Sasuke yelled as he hurled the vase at the rapidly retreating blonde. "I don't care how long but I will!" Naruto was still laughing as he exited the hospital, making a mental note to visit old man Yamanaka for some flowers for little Chi-Hime. He'd visit her this afternoon, he said to himself just as his stomach growled.

But maybe after some ramen.

xxxxxx

A/N: Okay so that's what happened to Sasuke. Let's hope I can profile what else happened to the people known as the Rookie Nine. As for the next chapter? Thankfully there won't be any LeeNaru fluff (or GaiNaru for that matter) so you can put those barf bags away.


	4. Promises Kept

**Chapter Three**

**Promises Kept**

The Jyuuken as a fighting style is regarded as one of the most artful forms of combat in Konoha's arsenal. This taijutsu focuses on disabling tenketsu points using blows and techniques that, to the uninitiated observer, only serves to annoy an opponent by using seemingly effeminate, ergo weak, strikes. But this in itself only adds to the artfulness of the style.

A light tap on the stomach can create mush out of internal organs, disabling the inner coils of even the most hardened shinobi. A straightened finger to the neck can cut of the cartroid artery, disabling the flow of blood to the brain and killing the adversary within thirty seconds. The amount of ways that a Hyuuga can kill with their signature style is almost as limitless as the possible applications to their bloodline, from combat to medicine.

Still, the artfulness of the Hyuuga's Jyuuken lies in the dance of combat. The physical structure of a Hyuuga clansman is lithe, sleek and lean, thus adding to the aesthetic qualities of the Jyuuken as a fighting style. It is said that two Hyuuga fighting each other can be likened to a pair of trained dancers, evading and dodging with almost unnatural grace that the lethality of the style the use is often ignored for the sheer awe that is inspired by the beauty of the gentle fist.

It was poetry in motion, in short.

And so too was Hyuuga Hanabi captivated by her sister and cousin's sparring. It was said among the clan elders that Neji is considered a prodigy even among people of the Main House. His skills and the development of his bloodline is rivaled only by Hiashi himself, and even then just barely. His skill with the Gentle Fist was finely perfected by hours upon hours of training, and even with most of the truly powerful techniques were not taught to him because of clan law, he was still a formidable warrior in his own right.

Hinata was far behind him in terms of skill, but as of her technique...Hanabi winced as her sister delivered a particularly crushing blow to a barely held block by her cousin. There was no Hyuuga more innovative in the creation of techniques than Hyuuga Hinata. Whereas the clan elders looked upon her mixing of different combat tactics to the so-called purity of the Jyuuken as blasphemous at best, Hinata made sure that none of her moves were as predictable as clan techniques often made them to be. The heiress had, supposedly, mastered three other forms of taijutsu other than the Jyuuken, and with her access to secret clan techniques, she was able to create a fluid meshing of all four styles she is proficient in and thus create a deadly fighting style all her own.

It was this style she planned to pass down to her heirs, she said. Too much stasis in a single fighting style will create laxity and an inability to grow. Of all people, Hyuuga Hinata understood that the self-imposed exile from the rest of society will start to destroy their clan faster than the oppression of the village.

This of all things she could not abide.

And so the dance continued, Hanabi taking note of all the techniques and tactics used and all of the applications the combined styles would have in real combat. The younger heiress' biggest asset was her mind, and combined with a natural love for learning, made her almost impossible to defeat by anyone from her age group. If it wasn't for the Hyuuga's insistence at not involving themselves in the war, she would have been chuunin and leading her own unit in the front lines.

But the safety of the bloodline was all that mattered to the clan. Hanabi clenched her fist, the thoughts of her father's words resounding in her mind. _This village has turned its back on us,_ Hiashi said from his bed. _So too will the Hyuuga turn its back on it._ It wasn't right. They as a clan had sworn fealty to the village, an oath that should not be taken lightly even if the years had taken its toll on the clan. There was no reason to break a promise, she reasoned, no reason at all to uphold something held dear long ago even if times had changed.

Hanabi didn't break her word. That was her Ninja Way.

"Hanabi-chan? Do you have any questions so far?"

The younger heiress blinked, surprised at being addressed. "I apologize, onee-sama," she said. "It appears that I had not realized my mind had been wandering…"

"What's bothering you, iimoto?" Hinata's voice was once again motherly and filled with concern. "You know we are always here for you Hanabi-sama," Neji then said his usual formal monotone laced with affection, detectable only to those who knew what to look for.

The both of them had been sensei to the young genin, more so than her assigned jounin-sensei who, more often than not, left the Hyuuga to her own devices most of the time. At least this was not because of Nara Shikaku's predispositions to the clan. On the contrary in fact. The elderly jounin was simply lazy, a trait which he supposedly passed onto his brilliant progeny, Nara Shikamaru. Hanabi would have snorted had she dwelled on the thought any longer. Nara Shikamaru, the genius tactician and aide to the Hokage himself, a lazy bum? That was almost as funny as saying that the Akamichi boy loved eating a balanced diet and exercise.

"Can you tell me exactly what happened yesterday?" Hanabi inquired. "You know, when Naruto-san brought me home?" Neji's eyes narrowed, a frown forming on his aristocratic features. Hanabi's sister looked at him worryingly before she placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I just can't bring myself to trust him, Hinata-sama," the prodigy confessed. "He has grown up with the love of the village, and as such has been spoiled by the fact that majority of the people in Konoha worship the very ground he walks on. I don't know what his motives are in rescuing Hanabi-sama, but you can rest assured that they cannot be trusted."

"Neji!"

"I am only saying what I feel is the truth…"

"Still, there is no reason to judge the man because of some bias you have in your heart," Hinata countered. "We have no reason to return the animosity given us, niisan." Neji conceded the heiress' point and remained silent as Hinata retold the story, Hanabi stopping to interject at crucial points.

"I see…" Hanabi said. _No, I don't see._ What reason does the hero of the village have to show kindness to a clan of outcasts? What would the great and glorious Uzumaki Naruto know about being glared at most of the hours of the day? What would the Kiroii Senko know about being beaten within an inch of your life on an almost weekly basis? How would you understand what kind of pain a Hyuuga must experience every day of her life?

"Thank you, onee-sama. That was very…informative."

Hanabi got up, wincing as she did so. The injuries from yesterday were healing quite nicely thanks to her sister's medicinal balms, but even then she would need a bit more time to recover. The two jounin watched the girl retreat and can't help but feel that Hanabi wasn't telling them everything they needed to hear.

"Leave her alone," Neji said, just as Hinata was just about to chase after her sister. The girl inclined her head as if to ask why. "She deals with her pain her own way," the older man reasoned. "It would not do to invade her privacy even on things that should concern us."

"But I can't help it."

"Neither can I, Hinata-sama. But she will learn to trust us with this in time."

The heiress was reassured by her cousin's words, if only temporarily. Still, it would be next to impossible to ignore this issue for very long, whatever it turned out to be.

Meanwhile, in the borders of the Hyuuga compound, a pair of guards activated their bloodline and spotted a very distinct set of blond spikes tied messily underneath a Konoha forehead protector. The man made no attempt to approach in stealth, and even as the guards stared, they saw that he was…whistling to himself?

"Halt!" the lead said, drawing a pole arm he laid in the side of a tree. "Who goes there?" The blond waited until he was six feet from the pair, and by then several other Hyuuga was at the scene, all with drawn weapons. The stranger, who clearly wasn't such a stranger, raised an eyebrow.

"Uzumaki Naruto," the blond declared. "And don't you think I deserve not to have weapons leveled at me each time I visit?"

xxxxx

_Flashback…_

_Konoha Park, an hour before_

"Inuzuka Rin, as in the Rin from Team Yondaime?" Sasuke whistled, his sightless eyes staring straight ahead. The pair was lounging in the park, under their favorite tree. There weren't that many people out; even with the ceasefire not that many shinobi (or civilians for that matter) felt it safe enough to do something as arbitrarily as relax in the sunshine in Konoha park.

The mission Kakashi gave Naruto was simple. He was to seek out either one of two individuals, both legendary medical ninja in their own rights, and convince them to come back to Konoha to bolster the waning ranks of medics in the village roster. Tsunade was a given, even if it was damn near impossible to locate the Sannin, the Godaime felt that she should still be left as one of the options, however unlikely it was that he'd even get to her. The second being Inuzuka Rin, who disappeared sometime in the past right after a failed mission in Earth Country together with the first Kiroii Senko and the Godaime himself.

Naruto nodded, forgetting himself. A blade of grass was stuck between his lips, which he intermittently took out and stared at. "The only other option leaves the Hyuuga," the blond said, referring to the third member of the former Team Kurenai. "And you know how xenophobic those guys have been ever since the war broke out."

"Just so. You can't blame them for their…security measures."

"Still," Naruto conceded. "This isn't cool. The damn pervert specifically made it so I would have to be the one to convince those guys to let me take one of them along on this mission. He doesn't know how damn suicidal the entire idea is."

"Come on, Naruto," Sasuke teased. "Don't tell me that the Great and Glorious Kiroii Senko is having second thoughts? I thought you loved a challenge." The blond gave him a withering glare. "Sometimes I feel as if you enjoy messing with my head."

"I'm hurt, Naruto-kun," the Uchiha said, feigning disappointment. "You've known me for years and it took you this long to figure that out?" Naruto stuck his tongue out at the raven-haired former shinobi, who only snickered.

The sun was high above them when they decided to move from their spot and head for the memorial. Sasuke was guided by the arm of his best friend, and together they made their way to the shinobi memorial in the middle of the park. A few dozen of those names were just that to the pair, names. But there was one in particular that blazed the fires of friendship between the unlikely duo. One name both of them would remember for the rest of their lives. The Uchiha knelt down on both knees, his calloused fingers tracing the kanji that made up her name.

Haruno Sakura.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said, his mark of mirth dropping off. He could never lie to her, not after all this time. "I'm going out for a mission in a couple of days. I won't have the bastard with me this time, but I'm hoping that I can get somebody almost as good. There's been a cease-fire, and nobody else has to die for at least a couple weeks more."

The Uchiha didn't speak, his fingers continuing to trace the kanji that formed his teammate's name. "I'm leaving Sasuke with Iruka-sensei for a couple of days," the blond continued. "He'll be happy for the company, and the bastard won't have to suffer through the pathetic excuse for sustenance the hospital calls food at the very least." Despite the somberness of the situation, the Uchiha choked back a laugh. The blond had the audacity to joke here of all places. "I try but I can't seem to be home enough to keep any of my promises, Sakura-chan."

"She doesn't blame you Naruto," Sasuke said. "The village needs you more than we do. We have no right to impose on--"

"It was because I broke a promise that Sakura's name is here in the first place." The blond opened and closed his fist, nails scoring along the inside of his palm hard enough to draw blood. "I'm not breaking another one, Sasuke. Not while there is breath left in my body."

"Naruto…"

"Forget it, forget I said anything."

The blind Uchiha reached out for the shoulder of his only remaining friend. Naruto clasped his hand when the raven-haired boy made contact. The two remained in that position for a few more minutes, lost in the haze of memories that came with the fury of the war. "Naruto," Sasuke said finally. "We should go."

The blond wiped away a few stray tears. He led his friend away, surrendering him to the awaiting nurse and wheelchair. Sasuke would have to be signed for in the morning so he can be discharged in Iruka's guidance. Naruto waved goodbye to his friend, watching him get wheeled away in the distance.

_I'll never break another promise again_, Naruto thought to himself. _Not again._

Speaking of which.

The blond turned and strolled away in the direction of the Hyuuga compound. He meant what he said. He wasn't going to break another promise. Not as long as he drew breath in his body…

…_end flashback_

xxxxx

Hyuuga Hizashi pinched the bridge of his nose, his face the very picture of annoyance. "Uzumaki-san," the head of the Branch House said "I would like to apologize for the treatment you have received from our guard. They only wish to keep the grounds safe against any who would dare break the sanctity of the compound."

The blond shrugged his shoulders and made no attempt to struggle against his bonds. "Eh," he said. "It happens. Besides, it's not like you guys intend to torture me or anything."

"They did actually." At that the blond's eyebrows rose up the middle of his forehead. "Uh," Naruto said, biting his lip. "Who'd have thunk it."

It barely took a minute to undo the knots in Naruto's ropes (no small thanks to the fact that the blond undid most of them in the thirty seconds the two had talked), and fifteen minutes later, Uzumaki Naruto had tea in front of him and a plate full of traditional sweets that went along with it. The latter one the blond didn't touch, he never did get a liking for sweets. Much more preferred was the bitingly bitter taste of the green tea, which the Kiroii Senko gulped down as slowly as protocol would allow. It allowed him to taste the especially high quality tea better too.

Hizashi wasn't much of a talker, Naruto surmised. By the time the blond had finished explaining why he was here, the older man had merely nodded. He was being tested, the blond realized. The Hyuuga were known for their intense and rather rigorous methods of psychoanalysis, and if memory served him right, their bloodline was an excellent tool to this end.

It would be pointless of course. Naruto knew all these things in advance, and even then he made sure that he'd be an open book to any and all prodding made by the clansman. He had nothing to hide, and little reason to use deception in any case. Besides, what harm would it be to visit a new acquaintance anyway?

"I'll be frank with you Uzumaki-san," Hizashi finally said. "Hanabi-sama is perhaps the second most important person in the clan right now to our head. With Hinata-sama becoming more and more involved with clan matters, the only one of his progeny Hiashi-sama is able to spend more time with is his second daughter. As a result we must be totally clear of your intentions, of whether there is malice in them or not."

Naruto remained silent, suppressing the urge to call Hizashi a paranoid bastard right then and there. "I understand," was all he said in reply. The Hyuuga nodded, satisfied. "Very well. Hanabi-sama will be sent for. But be wary. Her injuries have not recovered yet and she will need to rest." _Whether your business here is finished or not_, he didn't say.

The older man left the room, sliding open the shoji doors to reveal a younger version of himself. Neji, Naruto recalled his name was, remembering that this was the old man's son. The other boy's aristocratic features were the very picture of disdain, marring his otherwise artfully designed appearance only slightly. The blond repressed the urge to glare, remembering wisely that he was the guest here. He satisfied himself by visualizing the things he'd be able to do to the prick once outside the compound.

"I do not trust you, Uzumaki Naruto."

The blond merely shrugged. "Join the club," he said. "Your clan seems to think the exact same way." Neji glared, his frustration at not getting a rise out of the blond becoming palpable. "I would strike you down for those words," the boy seethed "if only you were not a guest here.'

A pair of blue eyes regarded him with a slightly annoyed expression. "I'll try and pencil you in for Saturday then," Naruto said, fumbling in his pocket for, of all things, a pocket scheduler. "Is eleven o'clock all right with you?"

"You would mock my words?"

"No," the blond said, rolling his eyes. "I would respect my other appointments. So, is eleven o'clock okay? See, I have a lot of people looking to kill me and a lot of those guys have been waiting months for the chance. You think you could hold on for a couple of more days?"

Neji strode forwards, stopping suddenly when he felt the wash of killing intent in the room. "Ah, ah, ah," Naruto said, wagging his index finger. "Didn't your father tell you it's rude to try and kill your guests?" The Hyuuga was stopped cold, the amount and concentration of the killing intent making him hesitate. Was this the power of the Yellow Flash? Would Naruto truly rise up and kill him where he stood?

For the first time in his life, the Hyuuga felt true fear. The sensation was so foreign Neji literally fell on his ass, landing hard on the tatami floor. Naruto's red eyes (_weren't his eyes blue?_) filled with an odd mix of challenge, contempt and amusement.

Just as suddenly, the killing intent was gone. The blond seated across him did not seem all that dangerous, if his idiotic grin was any indication. "See, Neji?" he cajoled. "I'm not such a bad guy. Besides, would you really like to test your luck by having _me_ as an opponent?" The Hyuuga was silent. He furrowed his brow and muttered a short apology before returning to his post just outside the shoji doors. He'll make his move in a more opportune moment, Neji decided.

"Good lad."

Hanabi entered the room a short while later, escorted by her older sister Hinata, the younger girl's limp doing nothing to dampen her presence. Of all the people here, Naruto noticed that these were the only two that did not have some sort of forehead wrapping, their forehead protectors both looped around their necks. The pair was dressed in silk kimonos, the dominant wheel and spoke patterns of lower nobility patterned around the high quality fabrics.

Hinata bowed formally and Naruto followed suit, inwardly annoyed at what he thought of as useless protocol. "Welcome back to the compound, Uzumaki-san," the girl said. "I believe you both have not yet been formally introduced?"

"Well yeah," the blond said, scratching his head and grinning. "I guess we haven't."

Hinata smiled serenely and gestured to her sister, who bowed formally as well. "Iimoto," she said "this is Uzumaki Naruto. He was the one who brought you back to us yesterday afternoon."

"Doozo yoroshiku, Naruto-sama."

"Aw, you don't need to call me that, Hanabi-chan!" Naruto gushed, surprising the both of them by taking the younger girl's hand and squeezing it. Hanabi looked in surprise both at Naruto for using such an informal suffix and for reaching across the floor and shaking her hand. "You all can just call me Naruto, if that's okay with you guys."

"Indeed. We shall do that…Naruto."

The younger heiress watched her onee-sama converse with their guest, who punctuated most of his sentences with wild arm waving and exaggerated words. For the first time Hanabi was surprised to realize that Uzumaki Naruto wasn't the uptight, spoiled bastard she thought him to be. The blond was loud, rambunctious, and a bit annoying yes. But underneath that crude exterior was something that proved to be so much more….fascinating.

_How enigmatic_, she said to herself.

Naruto caught the kid staring and gave her one of his devil-may-care grins. She blushed, coloring her pale cheeks prettily. The blond knew he looked good for a teen his age, and there were times he made use of that to his advantage. The girl was a bit too young for him, sure, but there wasn't any harm what he was doing.

"How are you feeling then, Chi-hime?"

"Better," the younger girl said, and meant it too. "I was told you were coming to visit me soon and I had no idea it would be today." Naruto smiled. "Well, no time like the present, right?" the blond said. "Besides, with us not even sure of how long the cease-fire is going to last, it's better if I get the important things done first, right?"

Hanabi cocked her head to the side. "And how is visiting me important?" Naruto answered that immediately.

"Keeping a promise is always important!"

The girl smiled in spite of herself. "Yes," Hanabi conceded. "I myself have never once broken my word. It's part of my ninja way." There was a flicker where Naruto's expression turned suddenly dark. In the same instant it was gone, the mask of mirth back in place. "Something wrong, Naruto-san?" Hinata inquired, to which the blond shook his head. The moment of silence lasted a few minutes more before Naruto spoke again.

"That's great," the blond said finally. "A ninja should always keep his promise. Just be sure you never go against your Nindo."

There was an awkward moment of silence before Hinata had the sense to call for some more tea. The trio talked some more, until the sun started to wane in the horizon. All the while, Hanabi couldn't get that one incident out of her head. The moment Naruto's mask cracked. There was something there, she reasoned. Something he was hiding from the rest of the world. Hanabi was one who liked to solve puzzles, never once stopping once she encountered one. Uzumaki Naruto was one, she knew now. She would see past his grinning façade and straight into whatever lay within.

Naruto promised to visit again the next day, to Hinata's delight and Neji's chagrin. Once he had left, Hanabi was mulling over her plans when the voice of her uncle startled her from her reverie.

"Hanabi-sama, your father wishes to see you."

The heiress made no vocal reply as she made her way to the stairway and up the second floor. She gave a slight bowing of the head at her uncle's bow, and made her way to the master bedroom where her father lay bedridden. _He shouldn't be straining himself like this_, Hanabi said to herself. _But what would he want that he'd risk that?_

What indeed. What indeed.

xxxxx

A/N: Not really sure as to the direction this fic will take so I'm going to try and build on the relationships in this story. The Hyuuga are natural psychoanalysts, which in retrospect makes me wonder if anybody in their clan ever ended up working as a psychiatrist. Most of that would probably spur an interest to understand the inner workings of a person's mind. I think I'm going to start to build on that with Hanabi's fixation with Naruto, though I may switch directions somewhere in the middle of the story and do something else. Anyway, I hope you guys like the direction this fic is taking. Please review and keep reading.


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